Bury the Hatchet
by mur xo
Summary: After the verdict on Clare's harassment case allows Asher to get off scot-free, she falls apart. Will Eli be able to put her back together or will the tension cause him to break?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything. I don't own the the characters, the plot, or Degrassi. If I had a mind as creative as that then I wouldn't be wasting my time writing fanfiction. :)

**Author's Notes**: This is a companion story to "Safe Ride" which I will be finishing up shortly. I apologize for the first chapter being kind of rushed, because it's more of a prologue than an actual chapter. I have the next few chapters already written so it shouldn't take me forever to update this time, promise. This will be about a six or seven shot. I hope you read, enjoy and review. :)

Twitter = xomurxo

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**BURY THE HATCHET**

**PART I**

_"You blame me but some of this is still your fault..."_**  
**

"Go to _hell_!" Clare spat, fury emanating from every pore. It was the second time she had ever used that phrase, coincidentally, the second time she directed it at the same person.

"Clare -"

"Just _go_, Eli," she paused, her hands placed on each hip. She angled her body away from him, anxious to hide the tears that were slowly starting to form. He couldn't see her weakness, her vulnerability, not again. Clare had made that mistake once and what had it gotten her? It had gotten her here, to a state of pure humiliation. It had gotten her to a courtroom where the judge had chosen to believe a well-known, idolized author, over two silly career-hungry girls. It had gotten her _nowhere_.

"I'm not... I'm not going to leave you. Not right now," he spoke softly, but sternly, his hands nervously worming their way into the pocket of his tight jeans.

"I don't want you here," she stubbornly countered, her voice strong despite the tears streaming down her face. The courtroom was emptied now, the jury, the spectators, the reporters, everyone had vanished as if the whole ordeal was merely an elaborate illusion. All that was left inside the hollowed building were Clare and Eli, and even though the person she was closest to was right by her side, Clare couldn't help but feel as if she had never been more alone.

"Then pretend I'm not," his soft voice suggested, and she could hear him take a seat as one of the wooden benches creaked under his weight. "But I'm not going anywhere."

Clare took an unsteady breath. One of her hands moved to hastily wipe at her tears, rubbing at her cheeks so intensely that red blotches began to form under the irritation. She took a few steps away from Eli, closer to the door, but made no motion to leave. Clare didn't want to be the one to leave. She needed to stay here, to soak everything in, to let the abrupt reality slap her in the face. Asher was a free man. She was a laughing stock. Asher was the victim. She was the pathetic, attention-craving school girl with a crush. Maybe they were right. Maybe she had sent him mixed signals and maybe this was exactly what she deserved. Even she knew that thoughts like that could be devastatingly dangerous, but she couldn't stop them from polluting her mind.

"Please, Eli," Clare whispered, her voice wavering as she tried to remain strong. "You need to go."

Eli didn't form a reply, but he moved from his spot and walked over to her, stopping when he was only a few inches away from her body, her back still facing him. "I said I..."

"Don't you get it?" Clare seethed, spinning around to meet his gaze. Her fists were clenched so tightly, her fingernails digging into her palms.

Eli's eyebrows knit together in worry, and he tried to reach out, to embrace her, to offer her comfort in her obvious state of distress.

"_Don't_," Clare flinched, backing away from him, leaving a look of hurt written all over Eli's face before he could mask it. "_Don't_ touch me."

"I'm sorry, Clare, I..."

"This is all _your_ fault, Eli." She accused, a finger pointed directly at his chest, her tone unforgiving.

"You don't... You don't mean that," He began softly, his head shaking as if he was trying to reason with himself, trying to excuse his girlfriend's behavior.

A sob escaped Clare, the tears storming down her face blurring her vision. Her chest heaved wildly as she tried to regain control, tried to focus her anger on the person who made her come to this courtroom to begin with. All of this had really started when Eli had told Ms. Oh about the sexual harassment. Clare had never asked him, never _wanted_ him, to do that. It was all Eli's fault that this had blown up so much, that Clare had to relive every gory detail of the encounters with Asher, only to get laughed at. She didn't deserve this. After everything she had been through, Clare had needed Eli to be strong, to be confident and comforting. Eli had failed and Clare couldn't forgive _that_.

"You made me come here today. For what?" Clare threw her hands in the air in exasperation. "They thought I was a _joke_."

"That's not true."

"Asher was found not guilty." Speaking the words out loud caused a shudder to run down Clare's spine.

"That doesn't mean..."

"And his boss told the courtroom that I was _obsessed_, _conniving_ and _manipulative_."

"Clare, I didn't think..."

"Exactly, Eli," Clare cut off the rest of Eli's sentence. "You never seem to think, do you?" She paused for a moment, swallowing hard to keep her tears at bay. "Now get out and leave me the _hell_ alone."

"Clare..."

"_Go!_"

The ferocity in Clare's tone made Eli back away, made him stop fighting for her. He cast his eyes downward and grabbed his jacket, before marching out of the double doors and into the heart of Toronto city, bright with sunshine. The difference between the stark cold courtroom, and the warm sunny outdoors was remarkable. Eli wished Clare would come with him. Maybe he could pull her out of the dark and into the light too. But she hated him now and their relationship was in undefined territory. So he just left, without a word, because that's what Clare had wanted.

"Eli! Where's Clare? We have a Chemistry test next period and she's nowhere to be found."

"What do I look like, her timekeeper?" Eli spat, causing Adam to stop his search for the girl and turn to face his best friend.

"Whoa, what's with you?"

"Nothing. I can't help you, I don't know where she is. Sorry," he gruffly responded, slamming his locker door shut with more than enough force to make the metal frame shake on its hinges.

"Everything... good? With you and Clare?" Adam asked awkwardly, knowing all too well how Eli had fallen apart the first time Clare had broken his heart. He was not willing to witness a repeat of last year.

"Never better."

Eli's sarcasm was not lost on Adam, but he let it go. "I'll just text her then," he said, reaching for the cell phone in his pocket.

"No!" Adam stopped his motions at the outburst and looked at Eli, his eyes wide. "I... I'll do it."

"Okay..." Adam placed the phone back in his pants, shooting his friend a quizzical look. "She's probably just sick or something," Adam continued, trying to offer reassurance he knew Eli desperately needed.

"Yeah... sick." Eli took his own phone out and began to type a message to the all-too familiar number.

_'Clare, where are you? Are you okay?_' Eli hit the send button and paused for a moment, before typing, '_Adam's really worried. Said something about an exam._' He sent the second message, hoping that with the mention of Adam, he would sound less desperate, less... _suffocating_.

Eli stared at his phone, willing a response, but after five minutes, when the bell finally rang, none had come.

"I gotta go man, let me know if you hear anything from her," Adam said as he took off down the hallway in an obvious hurry.

Eli sighed and began to put his phone in his backpack, all hope lost. A soft voice stopped him short.

"Eli!"

He turned at the sound and came face to face with the next best thing to Clare, her best friend.

"Alli?"

"We need to talk."

"I'm going to be late for Math."

"It's... It's about Clare," Alli looked at Eli, her eyes shining with concern.

"I'm listening," Eli said, his full attention on the girl in front of him, the girl who had all the access in the world to the most important person in his life.

"She needs you," she whispered, trying to do the right thing for her best friend.

"Alli, she _hates_ me."

"She doesn't. We both know she doesn't. She's angry, but she could never hate you."

Eli crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. "I can't help her anymore."

"She's not... She's not Clare anymore. Please." Alli pleaded and Eli narrowed his eyes at her, staring hard.

"She doesn't need me."

"Eli, you're all she has left. You can't abandon her _now_."

A twinge of guilt pulled at Eli's conscience and he swallowed the lump that had been forming in his throat. "Where is she?"

"Home in bed. Where she's been for the past _three_ days."

"I'll go talk to her."

Alli nodded her head, relief relaxing her facial features. "Today?"

"Today," Eli confirmed with a nod, before turning to walk down the hallway.

He said he was all in, Eli reminded himself. Clare needed him now more than ever and he was messing it up. They had been through a lot, but nothing compared to this. Eli knew what he had to do and he vowed he would get her through this. Clare needed to feel okay again and Eli was the one who had to help her, no matter what.

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So, there it is, please don't hate me! I know it's not my best work, (I'm a little rusty) but I promise it gets better if you hang in there!

Reviews from wonderful _readers like you_ would be _greatly _appreciated! Love you guys and thanks for reading! :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything. I don't own the the characters, the plot, or Degrassi. If I had a mind as creative as that then I wouldn't be wasting my time writing fanfiction. :)

**Author's Notes**: This is a companion story to "Safe Ride." Thanks so much for all of your support, it means so much to me! Your reviews are all amazing and motivating. I hope you like the second chapter and please read, enjoy and leave a review. :)

Twitter = xomurxo

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**BURY THE HATCHET **

**PART II**

"_I tried to hold your hand but you'd rather hold your grudge..."_

After school let out, Eli found himself pacing on the doorstep of the familiar house, his palms sweaty with nerves. It took him a few minutes before he gathered up enough courage to knock on the door, not knowing who, or what, he would be met with on the other side. He waited, bouncing on the balls of his feet anxiously, but no one came to greet him. Once more he knocked, only to be met with silence. Taking hold of the doorknob, he fiddled with the metal, to find it unlocked. Taking a risk, Eli slowly turned the knob, allowing himself his own entry into his girlfriend's house.

A shiver ran down Eli's spine as he was met with the emptiness, the sensation of desolation overwhelming from the minute he walked inside. It was eerily silent, which only worked to amplify his anxiety.

"Clare?" Eli called out, his eyes scanning the downstairs. The house seemed completely vacant, which was odd, considering the occupants were usually bustling around every time Eli had visited.

"Clare!" He tried once more, hesitating at the start of the staircase. Without a second thought, Eli took the stairs quietly, stopping before Clare's room. Her door was shut and Eli didn't want to invade her privacy. A sound from inside caught his attention. Before he had a chance to knock, Eli could hear the distinct sound of sniffling. More guilt pulled at him as Eli kicked himself for not being there for her before. She had needed him and Eli had let her down.

He knocked softly and heard the rustling of movement from the other side before he was met with a red-eyed Clare Edwards.

"What do _you_ want?" She asked, anger lacing her voice. It was evident to Eli that she didn't want him here, but what else was he supposed to do?

"I... Clare, I'm... uh... worried about you."

"Well don't be. You've done enough _worrying_."

Eli recoiled at the venom in her voice and tried desperately to keep his anger in check. Blowing up at her would only successfully push Clare away, which was the opposite of what he had been planning on doing. He needed to talk to her, to get inside of her head, so he could pull her out of the slump she had impulsively thrown herself into.

"Just get out of here, Eli," she continued, crossing her arms in front of her chest in the most uninviting position Eli had ever witnessed. If her words didn't bite, her body language held more than enough edge on its own. Still, Eli wouldn't budge. Instead, he matched her position, crossing his own arms in front of his body, fixing Clare with a stern glare.

"When was the last time you left your room?" He questioned, worried that her answer would coincide with his suspicions. The trial had been on Friday and he hadn't heard from Clare since then. It was Monday. That was three days cooped up in a tiny cubicle which would do nothing to alleviate the onset of depression that Clare was slipping into.

"That's really none of your business."

"Clare," he growled, having had enough with the bitter sarcasm. His patience was wearing thin.

"I never _asked_ you to come here," she responded hotly. She placed her hands on the wooden door and pushed forcefully, trying to lock him out.

"Oh no," Eli started, using his body as a barricade, not allowing her to shut him out. There had been enough of that over the past few months and Eli would _not_ be allowing Clare to make a habit of it. "You're not just going to hide out here in your room feeling sorry for yourself."

Clare's eyes widened at the harsh words, surprised at her boyfriend's uncharacteristic callousness. After all she had been through, with the premature ending to her internship, the crushed dream of becoming a journalist and the pure humiliation that consumed her in the courtroom, Clare believed she had every right to hide away from the world and feel _sorry_ for herself. Eli just didn't understand. He wasn't the one who was stuck in that car with Asher. He wasn't the one who was forced to tell his story in front of the police. He wasn't the one who was thought of as an immature _school girl_. Clare just couldn't do it anymore. The fleeting moment of surprise passed and Clare was able to recover quickly, before Eli could see that he had struck a nerve.

"Get out, Eli. I'm not going to ask you again," she responded firmly, her voice dangerously low.

"Fine, you want me to leave, I will. But Clare, if I walk out that door, I'm not coming back. I can't... I can't _do_ this anymore."

Clare swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat, momentarily immobile. The mere thought of Eli gone for good, the idea of not having him in her corner, was so overwhelming that she instantly panicked. The tears that she had managed to hold inside since Eli had arrived, slowly trailed down her cheeks. She turned around, hoping he didn't see.

"Then go," she whispered, her voice shaky with emotion she couldn't suppress.

Eli remained quiet for a long time, as if he was debating with himself whether or not he should stay. Cautiously, Eli stepped further into the room, walking in front of Clare so he was face to face with her. He frowned at the tears coursing down her face and he wanted nothing more than to make them stop, to make Clare feel better again. He knew, better than anyone, how broken a person could become without support. He had suffered with his own demons and came out strong. Eli was certain that if Clare let him, he could do the same for her. She just had to have a little _faith_ in him.

"Come here," he whispered, reaching his arms around her to hold her, something he desperately missed and affection he knew she needed. At first her body wasn't responsive, but after a few seconds Clare relaxed into the hold, her own arms worming their way around Eli's lean body. She let out a sob, stifling it by hiding her face in his shoulder, comforted by the familiarity. Eli was safe and safe was what Clare needed.

"I don't know what's wrong with me," she whispered so softly that Eli almost missed it. He placed a chaste kiss against her temple and held her tighter, wishing he could be strong enough for both of them.

"Shh," he hushed next to her ear. "We will figure everything out, okay?"

"There's nothing left to figure out."

Eli knew what she meant, but he refused to allow her to believe that. Sure, Asher got away with this, but Eli still believed there was a way to trap him. There had to be some sort of loophole that they had missed, some piece of evidence that hadn't been brought into the courtroom. Wasn't it common practice to have a retrial if additional evidence was found that could help prove the case? Eli wasn't giving up completely, not yet. At the very least he wanted Clare to realize that she didn't do anything wrong, that it was Asher who abused his authority and messed up everything, not the other way around.

"Asher _will_ pay, Clare."

She pushed away at his words, a renewal of anger coursing through her veins. Nothing would have made Clare happier than to push the memories away for good, to allow time to heal the wounds that were so raw and fresh in her mind. If she was ever going to successfully get over this, Clare knew she had to forget, and if that meant sulking and mourning her losses, then so be it. But she was in no way ready for a rematch and she was unwilling, this time around, to attempt some sort of revenge. Eli had his chance to help her with that and he had fell short. He took the easy way out and made her look like an utter fool in the process. Clare was not going down that road again. She knew all too well what Eli's _help_ in this matter could be like.

"It's over. I thought you agreed on no more personal vendettas anyways," she bit back, not so subtly trying to hint at all his failed take down missions in the past, when he was still acting, well, _crazy_.

"This is more than that and we both know it."

"Is it?"

"What he did to you... it's not right!"

Clare scoffed under her breath. Obviously, she knew that. She knew that a boss shouldn't treat an employee, an _intern_, a _sixteen_ year old, like that. She knew that she was the victim here, but admitting that made her feel too... vulnerable. It was easier to place the blame on herself because then it seemed as if she had some ounce of control over the situation. The phone calls, the tweets the extensive compliments shoved in Asher's direction, they were all ammunition used against her, yet they were also the things that kept herself from falling apart. If she had some sort of control in the situation, it meant that she was stronger than him. It meant that she did not allow an authoritative figure to violate her. It meant that she _welcomed_ it. As twisted and as nonsensical as it sounded, blaming it on herself was easier to swallow than admitting she was a _victim_ of _harassment_.

"No use going in this circle again," she finally stated, after a long, uncomfortable silence had enveloped them.

"You can't _do_ this to yourself. You can't beat yourself up about it and spend all your time in your room. You can't skip school for the rest of your life, Clare."

"If I hadn't been forced to go through with a trial, then I wouldn't have to hide out. I can't show my face there after _everyone_ knows what happened." Clare's body began to shake, goosebumps rising on her skin. The thought alone of walking through the hallways of Degrassi, with everyone sparing her sympathetic glances, made Clare want to throw-up. What was worse was it was all Eli's fault that this had become such a public affair. He was supposed to be her biggest ally, yet he seemed to be the one to lead her to a fast-coursed destruction.

"I had to tell Ms. Oh. I couldn't let him get away with that!"

"But he _did_!" Clare screeched, throwing her hands up in the air in exasperation. She felt so tired all of a sudden, so emotionally drained. It seemed like all her brain could wrap itself around these days were the events leading up to the case and the misery she felt now that it was over. It was physically and mentally taking a toll on her, and Clare wanted nothing more than to crawl into a ball and sleep, without the option of waking up for a long, long time.

"I'm not the bad guy here."

She paused and shook her head, laughing dryly.

"Really? Because all this happened when _you_ got involved."

"Clare -"

"Eli, I think you need to go home."

He looked at her with wide eyes, and tried to walk closer to her, but she wouldn't allow any more intimacy.

"We can't do this anymore."

"What are you saying?" He asked her nervously, sending a silent prayer to a God that he didn't believe in that it wasn't what he thought.

"We need to break up."

Eli took a sharp intake of breath and nodded his head. "Fine," he agreed, sick of fighting. "I'll leave."

And with that he left Clare alone, to get lost in her own thoughts, because he honestly couldn't deal with it anymore.

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Reviews from wonderful _readers like you_ would be _greatly _appreciated! Love you guys and thanks for reading! :)

Fifteen reviews will get you the next chapter! :)


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